


All Things Change

by Siver



Category: Discworld - Terry Pratchett
Genre: Future Fic, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-20
Updated: 2017-10-20
Packaged: 2019-01-20 08:37:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 918
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12429030
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Siver/pseuds/Siver
Summary: Vetinari and Vimes play a game of Thud while discussing the future patrician. Filling a prompt for Vetinari, Vimes and clock.





	All Things Change

Tick, tick, tick. Click.

Vimes scowled at the board. That was another of his trolls taken out with a quiet, near instantaneous move.

“Your move, Vimes.”

Lord Vetinari stared at him over steepled fingers and Vimes found himself wondering again how he got roped into this. All the while the clock ticked away counting down their time.

It was unspoken fact that no one dared give voice to, yet finely distilled rumours already flowed from the palace and spread like alcohol in a dwarf bar throughout the city. The Patrician’s health was failing.

No doubt there were some few who saw opportunity and schemes were whispered from ear to ear, but the Patrician was one step ahead with a man who spent his life so many steps ahead that were he to fall there would be no one to catch him before he was up and running again.

“Lipwig,” Vimes said flatly while moving a troll toward a group of dwarfs. The ticking of the clock beside them started to grate on his nerves. His mind was only half on the game; this piece of news threatened to take his attention entirely away from it.

“It is a matter of balance.” Click and another troll was in danger. “You are a man used to making demands and having those demands met. A ruler, excuse me, a successful ruler knows that one must walk the thin rope between order and chaos. Moist von Lipwig is well experienced with ropes.” 

Moist von bloody Lipwig. He held a grudging respect for the man, but the thought of facing him across that desk in the Oblong Office was not a thought he enjoyed.

Vimes received a sharp stare. “If we allowed the city to choose by personal preference we would go nowhere.”

Unless it’s your personal preference, Vimes thought. One Man, One Vote.

“And what will the city think?” he wondered out loud. Change had to come eventually. Despite the theories flying around the Patrician was… only human, but a man who made himself invaluable, who made his absence more undesirable than his presence.

“The Post Office was reborn and people no longer needed to rely on carriages going out and the hope their letters might make it to their destination. The clacks spread and information became readily and widely available and so that became a new normal. Railways cross the land and so trains became the new normal.” Vetinari smiled, a thin amused smile. “Mr. Lipwig made that long suffering task of taxes palatable, desired even. Mr. Lipwig is good at making normal. In short time I daresay Lord von Lipwig will become the new normal and tomorrow will be much like today.”

Tick, tick. In short time.

Despite any protests Vimes maintained – and if he was going to be absolutely honest they were fewer than they might once have been – he knew Vetinari was right and this was only to everyone’s advantage. Lipwig was popular. Lipwig was a big name in the city. There would be chaos, Vimes knew, but he suspected far less than what would be expected in other circumstances. It would be a controlled chaos as power was passed from one to the other. It would happen swiftly and smoothly and before anyone had time to say plot, the new Patrician would take the whole damn city in hand.

He nearly held it already. He shot Vetinari a look. How long had the man planned this?

Bloody Moist von Lipwig.

“Lord von Lipwig and Commander Ironfoundersson. A most interesting pair. Balance, your grace, balance.”

Damn the man. After all Vimes himself was staring down the long barrel of retirement. His efforts to prolong it were being whittled away by time and Sybil’s gentle efforts. Time that was growing shorter.

Tick, tick. He was sure the clock was getting louder as Vetinari smoothly removed the last of his trolls. He tipped his dwarf over.

“Everything changes. Time moves on and we must move with it. We can steer but to go against it is a wasted effort.”  

“And if Mr. Lipwig says no? Or is this an offer he can’t refuse?” Vimes asked dryly.

“My dear Vimes I would never force such an important decision, but I will say he has every reason to agree.”

And he would, Vimes thought as he stared across the board. If Vetinari didn’t get his way, he made it his way. He thought back over the long years and pushed aside his reservations. Yes, those two were as different seeming as night and day at a glance, but a first glance was often wrong. There was at least one shared quality between the current Patrician and the future Patrician.

And Vetinari wins again.

Vetinari rose slowly and Vimes detected the small wince, a stark reminder that age was the one thing that would catch up to them all. Off to the side he spotted Drumknott, _just in case_. Just in case was becoming more common.

“I know you are not fond of games, Vimes,” Vetinari said as Vimes took to his feet. “I appreciate you indulging me this.”

Vimes stood at attention, an old familiar stance against the rapidly approaching storm of change. “Sir.”

Vetinari granted him a faint smile and a nod. “Do give my regards to Lady Sybil, Commander. Good day to you.”

Vimes slipped into the policeman’s walk as he left the palace and all thoughts toward his concerns and future faded under the looming name.

_Lord_ von Lipwig.

**Author's Note:**

> My first pure Discworld fic, small ficlet, look at that! Somehow writing Vetinari seems easier than Vimes and I’m not sure how that happened or what that says.


End file.
